Petrovsky District is on the western border of Tambov Oblast, with Lipetsk Oblast to its west. It is about 50 km west of the city of Tambov, and 100 km north of Voronezh. Through the district runs the Matyra River, a tributary of the Voronezh River, and part of the Don River basin. The terrain is flat and gently rolling steppe.[9] The black soil of the district supports agriculture, and there are deposits of limestone and other minerals in the area.
The district is about 60 km long and 30 km wide. The administrative center of the district is the city of Petrovskoye. The Lipetsk-Tambov highway runs across the middle of the district. Subdivisions of the district include 12 rural settlements.[9]
Average January temperature is −10.5 °C (13.1 °F), and average July temperature is 20 °C (68 °F). Annual precipitation is 450–500 millimeters (18–20 in).[9] The climate is Humid continental climate, cool summer, (Dfb). This climate is characterized by large swings in temperature, both diurnally and seasonally, with mild summers and cold, snowy winters.
The risk of drought is 20-40%; a severe drought occurs every 10–12 years. Because the Tambov Plain is essentially in a trough between the Central Uplands and the Volga Uplands, cold Arctic air can penetrate further south than in other areas. Frost is possible from October through May.[11]
History
The area was settled by Slavs at least as early as the 11th century in the village Yablovontsky. The central village of Petrovsky was founded in the late 18th century. In 1868, the South East Railway was laid through the district, on which the Izberdey train station was built. During WWII, Petrovsky District sent 25,000 soldiers to the front. According to the district's website, more than half did not return. The farmers of the district raised funds for a tank column.[12]
The village of Znamenka was the home of six generations of the Rachmaninoff family. Sergei Rachmaninoff first visited in 1868, and the village has a satellite museum sponsored by the main museum at his 1890-1917 summer home at Ivanovka estate farther east near Tambov.
Alexander Lodygin, one of the inventors of the incandescent light bulb, was from the village of Stenshino, in the district.
Agriculture
Petrovsky is a grain-growing district - primarily wheat, sunflower and barley.[13] Approximately 110,700 hectares (62%) of the total area of the district is in cultivation for crops. Orchards (apples and pears) and berry fields make up about 1% (1,190 hectares). In 2014, the top seven crops by area were:
Тамбовская областная Дума. Закон №72-З от 21 июня 1996 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тамбовской области», в ред. Закона №544-З от 11 июня 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в статью 7 Закона Тамбовской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Тамбовской области"». Опубликован: "Тамбовская жизнь", №131, 1996 г. (Tambov Oblast Duma. Law #72-Z of June 21, 1996 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tambov Oblast, as amended by the Law #544-Z of June 11, 2015 On Amending Article 7 of the Law of Tambov Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tambov Oblast". ).
Тамбовская областная Дума. Закон №232-З от 17 сентября 2004 г. «Об установлении границ и определении места нахождения представительных органов муниципальных образований в Тамбовской области», в ред. Закона №606-З от 7 декабря 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Тамбовской области "Об установлении границ и определении места нахождения представительных органов муниципальных образований в Тамбовской области"». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Тамбовская жизнь", №185 (23125). (Tambov Oblast Duma. Law #232-Z of September 17, 2004 On Establishing the Borders and Determining the Location of the Representative Organs of the Municipal Formations of Tambov Oblast, as amended by the Law #606-Z of December 7, 2015 On Amending the Law of Tambov Oblast "On Establishing the Borders and Determining the Location of the Representative Organs of the Municipal Formations of Tambov Oblast". Effective as of the official publication date.).
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